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Explore virtual patterns

Virtual software patterns provide integrated expertise for applications and system topology management in cloud and other environments

Joseph Bohn, Technical Evangelist, IBM

Joe Bohn is a Senior Software Engineer currently serving as a Technical Evangelist for emerging WebSphere technologies. Previously, he worked on open-source projects involving Apache Aries, Apache Geronimo, and WebSphere Community Edition. Joe began his career with IBM in 1985 as a CICS Systems Programmer, and has held numerous Developer and Architect positions in a variety of areas, including WebSphere Portal and Tivoli.

Scott Laningham (scottla@us.ibm.com), Podcast Editor, IBM developerWorks

Scott Laningham, host of developerWorks podcasts, was previously editor of developerWorks newsletters. Prior to IBM, he was an award-winning reporter and director for news programming featured on Public Radio International, a freelance writer for the American Communications Foundation and CBS Radio, and a songwriter/musician.

Kane Scarlett, developerWorks Editor

Kane Scarlett is a technology journalist/analyst with 20 years in the business, working for such publishers as National Geographic, Population Reference Bureau, Miller Freeman, and IDG, and managing, editing, and writing for such august journals as JavaWorld, LinuxWorld, and of course, developerWorks.

Robin Langford, developerWorks Managing Editor, IBM

Robin Langford, developerWorks managing editor, divides her time between rich media production and IBM product trials. Before developerWorks, she wrote for, edited, and managed information for IBM software and hardware in development. Her degrees are in English from Auburn University in Auburn, AL, and Technical writing from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY.

Summary: Explore virtual patterns for application deployment and management and management of systems topologies, from basic understanding of their functions in modern IT systems (especially virtualized and cloud environments) to deeper, skills-based knowledge. Follow the resources to expand your expertise on using virtual patterns: Design and development considerations, pattern types and components, pattern functions, predefined pattern samples, and integrating patterns into cloud environments.

Date: 26 Sep 2012 (Published 31 Aug 2012)
Level: Introductory

Activity: 6928 views
Comments:

You can listen to the audio version, read the transcript, or view the video.

Take it from the top

In about a minute, learn what a virtual pattern is and why it can be an important tool in creating an effective, public or private IT system.

This video provides a high-level explanation of virtual application patterns -- used to manage application deployment, behavior, and performance in a systems environment -- and virtual system patterns -- used to manage environmental topologies. Although virtual patterns can be used in environments other than cloud computing ones, they are especially effective in the cloud.

Try out patterns for yourself

Try IBM PureSystems at no charge:

Access a cloud-based trial to build innovative solutions quicker by using patterns.
Download the IBM Virtual Pattern Kit for Developers to extend the pre-built IBM patterns to meet your needs.

Also, take a look at how a patterns expert would introduce the concept in the blog entry Getting back to the basics: What is a pattern?.

A deeper understanding of virtual patterns

The following videos provide a deep, more technical understanding of virtual patterns, what they can do, and how they are used in various IBM products.

To learn about virtual application patterns and virtual system patterns, watch these videos that describe patterns at work in IBM PureApplication System:

Video: Virtual application patterns in IBM PureApplication System: Using a sample application, learn about deployment, constructing a new pattern, and managing the application through monitoring, logging, and commands. Get a quick look at the advanced monitoring available in IBM PureApplication System.
Video: Virtual system patterns in IBM PureApplication System: Explore virtual system pattern concepts, applying fixes, and customizing the image using the IBM Image Construction and Composition Tool.

Patterns are also employed in the IBM Workload Deployer appliance, providing rapid provisioning and management of solutions on your private cloud:

Video: Dig deeper into the virtual application pattern: Understand how to deploy and build patterns, leverage shared services, and manage the virtual application.
Video: Dig deeper into the virtual system pattern: Discover the components of a virtual system pattern, how to clone and customize a pattern with a script package, how to deploy an instance of the pattern, how to monitor license usage and cloud resource usage, and how to apply an emergency fix to a deployed instance of the pattern.

Design a virtual system pattern: Key considerations for planning and designing: Begin learning how to design a virtual pattern.

Using virtual patterns in IBM Workload Deployer

Take a look at some examples of virtual patterns and their components. In this article on IBM Workload Deployer, learn how a hardware appliance that provides access to software virtual images, patterns, and virtual application pattern types can be customized, securely deployed, managed, and maintained in a private cloud.

These two resources provide a process for you to observe:

Using virtual patterns on IBM SmartCloud Enterprise and IBM PureSystems expert integrated systems

When you're ready to move learn more about virtual patterns, dive into how virtual patterns are used on such major cloud platforms as IBM SmartCloud Enterprise and the recently released expert integrated systems, IBM PureSystems family.

Discover PureApplication System patterns of expertise provides a gateway of understanding into the IBM PureSystems family of expert integrated systems by providing a tour of the structure of the PureApplication System and virtual patterns of expertise.

From Develop patterns for IBM PureApplication System, you'll get a host of best practices and tips for developing virtual application and virtual system patterns.

These resources will expand on the information from the pair of videos on application and system patterns from the second section:

You can learn from the experience of IT professionals who are using virtual patterns in these real-world activities:

Learn how to Create and customize virtual application patterns by adding components and capabilities with the IBM Workload Plug-in Development Kit.

Finally, our expert shows you how IBM PureApplication System manages the complete life cycle of your virtual application.

To explore virtual patterns further, visit the: